Vetted Again

by K'Anne Meinel

Organizers had three goals for Saturday’s event: spread holiday joy among their neighbors, solicit donations of time and money for the Sweetwater Horse Rescue run by Doctor Fiona Herriot and her wife, Allyssa out at the Falling Pines Ranch, and promote the Schooners 4-H club.

  Rumor has it a couple residents of Sweetwater went to the ranch afterwards to arrange to adopt a couple of the horses. We’ll keep you updated if they’ve found a new home.

  Allyssa Herriot said they had taken in forty horses since The Greater Oregon Second Chance Horse Rescue lost its lease and was forced to close its doors.

  “There’s nothing wrong with these beautiful horses. We have the space on our ranch, so they can live and run free. They are being socialized by the children and given a second chance. The animals come from all walks of life, and we were given the histories on each by the good people involved in the Second Chance Horse Rescue. All have been examined by my wife, Doctor Herriot, and they are certified healthy. We also made sure they won’t be breeding. The horses have many years left in their lives and could give joy and pleasure to their eventual owners. But a horse is a great responsibility. They can live to be thirty years old, and we don’t take applications for these beautiful creatures lightly.”

  “We were told by the original rescue that about seventy-five percent of horses like these are slaughtered and sold as dog food,” Doctor Herriot told us. “To justify putting down these beautiful creatures they falsely claim the horses are old or unhealthy. There is nothing wrong with these horses. Sometimes it is overpopulation that sends them to us, often it’s simply that there aren’t enough homes for them.”

  Several pictures of the horses dressed up in costumes accompanied the article. 4-Hers were shown throwing candy including Skittle packets and peppermints to little kids who came outside to gawk and stare at the horse-riding carolers. Some were lucky enough to get candy canes from the elves.

  There was also a wagon filled with carolers. One child in a wheelchair sat in the back, all tucked in among the hay. The wagon was pulled by a pair of Belgian draft horses, which many knowledgeable people assured this reporter were nothing like Clydesdales.

  Following the party of carolers were several people on electric carts carrying buckets with flat shovels in the back to clean up any presents left by the horses. The Pooper Scoopers, as they christened themselves, were a cheerful lot, who enjoyed themselves despite their dirty job and sang as loud as the children.

  “I’d like to see this event grow as more people join our 4-H troop and more people like the Herriots extend their help to the rescue mission,” one of the 4-H moms wanted us to tell our readers. “Could you imagine this event every year with maybe a hundred horses and children riding?”

  The article ended by providing contact numbers for the 4-H club, the Sweetwater Horse Rescue, and Herriots’ Veterinary Clinic.

  A few days later, Allyssa was pleased to hand several similar articles that had been written by local papers to the young girl. She helped Traci make a memories book of her own, taping down the snippets, pictures, and articles.

  “The papers put up more articles this year,” she said pridefully. “I can use this in my 4-H book too, can’t I?”

  “Yes, you can,” Allyssa told her, pleased with how happy the young girl was.

  “Can I use last year’s articles as well?”

  “Nope, you didn’t participate last year, and your 4-H booklet should only contain things you actually participated in as a Schooner 4-H club member,” she explained.

  That 4-H book was important to many of the 4-Hers. They were accumulating pictures and making reports about their activities in the club all year long. Neither Allyssa nor Fey was able to attend last year’s fair due to their pregnancies, but both youngsters had gone to the carnival with their friends and returned talking about all the things they would do next year. It had been one of the highlights of the sad summer after the death of their mother. Now, with the death of their father, they were grasping at happy memories.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Allyssa, with the help of Woody and Rhonda, pounded in fence posts to erect snow fences along the long ranch driveway, especially on the ridges where the wind was constantly causing drifting that closed the road, which Allyssa planned to plow. Already, they’d had several light dustings, but the snow was becoming thicker and Allyssa suspected it was lasting longer. Fey had already warned about a severe winter based on the thickness of the animals’ coats.

  Both Fey and Allyssa worried about this winter, especially with three young babies, who had to get to doctor checkups. Of course, Traci and Sean also had to get to school. Allyssa arranged with the 4-H club to build a small shed at the end of their driveway where they would be out of the wind and cold. She figured out a way to use solar energy to heat it and keep it warm for them.

  “I don’t understand why you can’t drive us to school,” Sean complained.

  “Because I’m frequently away from the ranch, and Allyssa has work to do too. There are the babies too. We can’t leave them all with Juanita because you can’t walk to the bus stop,” Fey told him firmly, not liking his attitude and putting him firmly in his place while she was still taller than the teen. She suspected that wouldn’t be the case for much longer.

  Sean was ashamed of his attitude but hid it well. He was feeling belligerent for no other reason than he felt like it. He didn’t understand the teenage hormones he was experiencing. He only knew that he felt bad about losing his parents, and he was taking it out on everyone else. Allyssa discreetly phoned the middle school and asked them to schedule a series of appointments with the school psychologist to help the teen cope.

  Winter arrived with a bang right before Christmas. A series of severe storms came in over the ocean, hit the mountains northwest of them, and blanketed parts of Oregon that hadn’t experienced snow in decades. Most of the precipitation had turned to ice and snow, and with the colder temperatures, areas such as the high plains where the Herriots lived were buried. Fey was caught in one storm and had to express her milk and store it until she could make it home to the ranch. Thank goodness for the well-stocked RV.

  Allyssa had hooked up their enclosed trailer to the Suburban, and with help from Juanita and the children, she had filled it with food for their pets, their stock, and the household. It had taken a full day in Pendleton to fill the trailer, but Allyssa had persisted. Despite the additional work and the two days it took to put everything away properly, everyone was now pleased to have the extra supplies on the ranch as they fought their way out of the deepening snows.

  Allyssa fought for time away from the babies, feeding them when she could, then going out in the snow to use the plow on the backhoe and dig themselves out. Sean was thrilled to use the ATV with the blade on it to clear paths in the ranch yard, which allowed the stock to get to their own feed. Juanita had been snowed in in the mobile home and worried about her charges. She was grateful when Allyssa cleared the deep snow away, so she could get out. Sean also helped by cleaning up the paths.

  Traci contributed by making soups and stews to warm them up, relishing the things Juanita was teaching her. She helped tremendously with the threesome. When they went out in public, they were frequently asked if the babies were triplets, and Allyssa had finally given up explaining that two were fraternal twins and the other was their two-weeks-older sibling. It was too complicated to explain that she and her wife had both given birth so close together. Besides, that answer inevitably led to more weird questions that were no one’s business but their own. Now, when someone asked if they were triplets, she just smiled, letting them assume whatever they liked. The babies looked very much alike anyway since they were siblings. They added to the illusion by purchasing a triple stroller, but it was proving to be a beast to haul and unpack from the Suburban without help.

  “I think it’s sexist that I’m cooking while Sean gets to play on the ATV,” Traci brought to Allyssa’s attention since Fey was away so frequently.

  �
��I agree,” she told her, surprising the young girl. “How do we solve it?”

  The girl thought for a moment. She had been prepared to argue but Allyssa’s response had taken the steam out of those arguments. Now, she had to think up a solution. “Maybe we could take turns?” Traci offered hesitantly.

  “Sounds like a great idea,” Allyssa agreed and suggested it to Sean later.

  “That’s not fair,” he said, flashing an angry look at his sister for bringing it up.

  “How is it not fair?” Allyssa asked reasonably. She was busy trying to get the babies to eat Cheerios. The three babies were sitting in highchairs in the kitchen and grabbing unsuccessfully at the little round pieces of cereal. They wanted to put everything in their mouths these days. When they finally succeeded, each looked triumphant as they shoved the food in their mouths and experienced the odd taste. Allyssa wanted to give them healthy food and avoid them grabbing things like her hair or the dogs’ hair to put in their mouths.

  Sean could not argue with Allyssa and he knew better than to try. Allyssa, younger than her wife, his sister, was a cool, older woman, and he adored her, but in his mind, she was also not that much older than the teen. Somedays, he resented her authority over him, but again, he wouldn’t argue. Fey was the ultimate authority but she wasn’t here.

  That Christmas was a quiet one. They all keenly felt the losses and gains of the last year. They had lost Rosemary and Keith but now had Erin, Molly, and Tom. Fey and Allyssa were thrilled to have Traci and Sean living with them now, despite the sad circumstances that brought that about. They also included Juanita and the interns in all their farmhouse Christmas celebrations.

  That storm was the first of many, and Allyssa was constantly on the backhoe trying to dig them out, so Fey could get in and out of the ranch, the kids could get to and from school, and clients could bring their animals for treatment.

  “Wow! That’s some drive,” Rhonda complained good-naturedly as she came into the cabin to warm up after her drive out to the ranch. “We’re going to run the horses around the paddocks to warm them up. You know, your llama mama has been especially mean and spitting in their ears,” she told Allyssa as she warmed up by the ever-present fire.

  “Yeah, I told Fey we should sell that bitch after her last baby,” Allyssa answered, holding up her hand to signal Rhonda to wait as she answered the phone. After taking the message, which she relayed to Fey via CB radio since she wasn’t answering the phone, she left a message with Bart. “Do you have clients coming in today?”

  “Yes, three of them. Why? Do you need something?”

  “I want to finish the horse stall,” she said with a smile. “Fey doesn’t know I’m almost done, and we’ve got to get that drawer thing working right.”

  “Oh, I want to see it,” Rhonda said enthusiastically. She had watched Buddy and the other guy design it, had put in her own two cents on its design, and had even watched the movie that inspired its creation. She thought all their ideas combined had made it even better.

  “I want to get it done by tomorrow. Fey will be here for the Friday clinic, and we only have one person scheduled. We also have to take the threesome in for their last shots.”

  “Gosh, are they big enough for that already?” Rhonda asked, surprised at the passage of time.

  “When this is done, they won’t need any more shots until they are a year old. We discussed the age thing on the shots. I’m not certain they shouldn’t put them off even longer, so the children are bigger and more able to resist the fever and upset they always get from the shots.”

  “Are you one of those people who doesn’t believe in childhood vaccinations?” she asked, surprised.

  “No. I believe in the need for them, but I think they should delay them. Who needs three babies with fevers being upset over something they don’t understand?”

  “Good point,” she answered, turning to warm her other side and wondering how in the world they all coped, although they didn’t always succeed. She had seen all three babies crying hysterically a time or two, but between Allyssa and Juanita and occasionally Fey, they were doing the best they could. She also had her hands full with child-like clients and the horses she worked with.

  “Is Woody out there already?”

  “Yeah, but I was cold and came in to say hello.” She waited a second and said, “Hello.”

  Allyssa chuckled, appreciating her friend’s humor. She missed having Renee in the office at times like this, but they had wished her well when she went on to her new job.

  Fey was late getting home, and she was tired and cold despite the excellent heating system in the RV. The four of them—Fey, Allyssa, and the two interns—soon had the RV restocked and ready to go for the following day. The fuel truck had been delayed due to the storms and Fey filled the RV knowing soon, she might have to start using gas from the stations in one of the many towns she passed through.

  “Oh, my babies,” she cooed as she lay on the living room floor with the three of them. Somedays, she resented being away from them so much, and other days she was secretly glad to get away from the dirty diapers, crying babies, and multiple feedings. She brought several milk bottles in from the RV, which she had filled with her pump. It was when she was gone overnight, or even the couple of days the storm caused, that she deeply missed them all. She was getting used to the chaos of the three babies and her siblings now.

  Lexy came into the living room, tugging her bed behind her with a cat clinging to it. She was trying to unseat the trespassing feline. Fey cracked up at the disgruntled look on the canine’s face as she tried to get her bed back. “This place is a riot,” Fey said, looking up at her wife with a smile.

  “A laugh a minute,” Allyssa said sarcastically but smiling. The animals did amuse her. Later, as they headed to bed, she reminded Fey of their doctor appointment the next day.

  “Oh, God. We are going to have some crying babies on our hands,” she lamented, not relishing the thought. The tremendous amount of work that fell on her wife’s shoulders was appreciated, and she tried to show her gratitude as she made love to her; however, being interrupted by a baby was the norm these days.

  “I’m sorry,” Allyssa said as she got up to attend the crying babe.

  “It’s not your fault,” Fey immediately said and got up as another baby woke on hearing the cries of its sibling. Eventually, they had three babies in their bed, and she couldn’t have been happier as she looked across at her wife.

  “Who’d have thought we’d have all this?” Allyssa asked.

  “Aren’t you supposed to have taken your tests in Portland?” Fey asked, suddenly remembering. Her wife would be a fully qualified vet tech with the results of those tests and able to work fully for the clinic alongside her. Allyssa had been doing that work almost from day one, but these tests would make it all legal.

  “I delayed the tests because of the weather and these beauties. I’ll take the tests in the spring,” she told her, looking down and away from her wife’s gaze.

  “Hey, you should have told me,” Fey said, reaching out to lift her wife’s chin.

  “I did, but that was last month. This month, I had to make a quick decision to avoid losing my credits, and I decided to delay the tests for the spring session. Remember, I can’t take the babies with me, and you will have to be here full-time with Juanita,” she reminded her.

  Fey appreciated her wife’s thoughtfulness. She hadn’t thought about that aspect of it. She would have to be here. They couldn’t put it all on Juanita, so she’d have to step up. “I think we should slowly wean them off our milk, so that won’t be an issue when the time comes.”

  “I’ll miss breastfeeding,” Allyssa said softly, looking down at the wriggling babies thoughtfully. Already, they were getting sleepy again in the warm bed. Each was wearing a terry cloth onesie with feet to keep them warm.

  “I won’t,” Fey admitted. She had resorted to pumping, which had worked out well for her and her schedule but had created an awkw
ard atmosphere with the interns a few times in the confines of the RV. Their current interns were about to leave and two more were coming for the spring session. The next pair of interns were a man and a woman coming from the southeast.

  Allyssa smiled, proud that she had been able to breastfeed. She glanced at her wife laying on the edge of the bed with three babies between them in the queen-sized bed. She felt a moment of lust for her wife and suppressed it. Their love life had really suffered these last few months, but they knew each loved the other and expressed affection despite the lack of intimacy.

  Sean had admonished them for making out in front of the children and they had laughed at the teenager. “There is nothing wrong with expressing love,” Fey had told her brother and then made to grab him to kiss him on the cheek. He fought her off but had laughed at the silliness of his much older sister.

  Fey complained when spring came early that year. She was being kept busier than she could ever remember. The snows melted, and the runoff in the streams and rivers was horrendous. The lake had risen to an all-time high, and they only knew that because Brock had plowed a few fields out that far, fencing them off from the horses that remained on their range. The cattle they had kept were healthy and breeding, and Fey brought them in for shots to keep them from spreading any diseases she had found in other stock.

  “That one is definitely an offspring of that Brahma cross we caught in the roundup last fall,” Fey said, referring to the young calf standing beside its mama on the range. She and Allyssa had resumed taking rides again whenever they could get away. She was looking forward to riding Big Red, the mare they captured in the roundup. They had all had a hand in gentling her.

  “Wow! That’s amazing!” Allyssa exclaimed, thrilled to see the little crossbred calf. But he wasn’t the only calf, and that caused Fey to make another comment.

  “Wherever that Brahma cross came from, he certainly was dominant around here, or maybe he was just quicker,” she smirked, referring to the bull that got to cows in estrus first. She was pleased she’d kept some of the cattle although the check they had gotten on the other mavericks had been welcome. Her father’s estate was still tied up, but the money they had gotten was free and clear, and at least it had paid off their immediate bills. She wouldn’t hesitate to gather these cattle and sell them too, if they ever needed the money.